Who defines what soil is and determines how it is used and cared for? Following the 22nd World Congress of Soil Science – Crossing Boundaries, Changing Society and the current exhibition We are Compost / Composting the We at the CCA, CCA Annex is hosting a series of online performance lectures and dialogues in a process of collaborative thinking between art, science and ancestral ways of knowing. In an age characterised by the entangled crises of climate change and political upheaval we are interested in exploring soils as dynamic spaces of multi-species engineering and convivial encounter, collective metabolisms that materially and conceptually intersect with concerns about food sovereignty, waste and energy streams, allotment politics, right to land, seed saving strategies, and soils as relational bodies.

For this event we welcome organic food grower and writer Claire Ratinon for both a talk and garden tour. Based in East Sussex, Claire has grown edible plants in a variety of roles from growing organic vegetables for the Ottolenghi restaurant, Rovi to delivering workshops throughout London. Claire has been invited to share her growing journey in talks for organisations including Tate Liverpool, Charleston House and Royal Botanical Garden, Edinburgh, as well as presenting features for Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time. Her writing has been featured in The New Statesman, Bloom Magazine and Waitrose Food Magazine. She co-wrote the pamphlet, ‘Horticultural Appropriation’ for Rough Trade Books with artist, Sam Ayre and her first book, ‘How To Grow Your Dinner Without Leaving The House’ was published in August 2020. Her new book, ‘Unearthed: On Race and Roots, and How the Soil Taught Me I Belong,’ is out now.

Registration or pre-booking is not required for this event, simply open CCA Annex at 6.00pm (UK time) on your browser, however please feel free to register for event reminders.

Questions will be invited from the audience who can participate over CCA Annex. This event will be live-captioned and recorded.